As publisher Joeming Dunn explains in a video on the campaign page, AP expanded to mass retailers like Walmart over the past year and a half but wasn’t prepared for the “larger than expected financial hit” from large print runs and heavy returns on unsold books. As a result, the small press finds itself more than $70,000 in debt.

“While we have been in business for many years,” AP’s campaign page reads, “it has never been a financial windfall; we made comics we wanted to read and share with the world… The bottom line is that all this hard work over so many years is now in jeopardy. Everyone here has sacrificed in their own way to help us stay in business, including taking business and personal loans to help us climb out of the hole we made for ourselves. Unfortunately, we still need help.”

Much like the Radio Comix campaign before it, Antarctic seeks a fraction of what it owes, in this case $3,000. And like Radio Comix, AP looks well on its way to reaching its goal. AP has less than $200 to go with more than 40 days left to raise it.

AP has published comics since 1985, mostly manga-inspired titles like “Ninja High School” and Fred Perry’s “Gold Digger.” The publisher has helped launch the careers of comic book talents that include Terry Moore of “Strangers in Paradise” fame (SiP started out as a three-issue Antarctic miniseries in 1993) and artists Esad Ribic (“Thor: God of Thunder”) and Yanick Paquette (“Swamp Thing”). One of AP’s mass market releases includes “Zombie Kid Diaries,” Perry’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” spoof about an undead lad who dreams of becoming a professional video game player.

AP looks to stay in the publishing game with more comics scheduled as well as projects outside of comics. AP is also working on an app for its vast library of works.

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